Applicant Briefings For Local Officials Begin Disaster Recovery In 26 Illinois Counties 

Release Date: January 8, 2007
Release Number: 3269-002

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PEORIA, Ill. -- Four briefings have been scheduled to help state and eligible local governments in 26 counties apply for federal disaster assistance in the wake of the Nov. 30-Dec.1 severe winter storm. The joint announcement was made by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Federal Coordinating Officer Michael H. Smith and Illinois Emergency Management Agency's (IEMA) Director William C. Burke.

Officials from FEMA and IEMA will provide information about the scope of the public assistance program. After the briefings, teams of state and federal inspectors will schedule meetings with local officials to inspect disaster-related damages and associated costs.

The briefings are scheduled for:

Tuesday, Jan. 9
10:30 a.m.
John Wood Community College Paul Heath Center
Auditorium, 1301 South 48th Street, Quincy for Adams, Brown, Hancock, McDonough, Pike and Scott counties.

Wednesday, Jan. 10
10:30 a.m.
New Gateway Building, 200 N.E. Water, Peoria, for Fulton, Henry, Knox, Marshall, Mason, Menard, Peoria, Stark and Tazewell counties. 

Wednesday, Jan. 10
3 p.m.
Illinois Valley Community College, Cultural Center,
Building F, 815 N. Orlando Smith Avenue, Oglesby for Bureau, DeKalb, Kendall, LaSalle, Lee and Putnam counties.

Thursday, Jan. 11
9:30 a.m.
Rockford Airport Auditorium, Airport Operation and Administration, 60 Airport Drive, Rockford for Boone, McHenry, Ogle, Stephenson and Winnebago counties.

At the request of Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich, President Bush issued a snow emergency declaration on Dec.29 for the 26 counties eligible for federal aid in the area struck by record or near record snow during the incident period of Nov. 30 to Dec. 1.

The counties included in the presidential snow emergency declaration are Adams, Boone, Brown, Bureau, DeKalb, Fulton, Hancock, Henry, Kendall, Knox, LaSalle, Lee, Marshall, Mason, McDonough, McHenry, Menard, Ogle, Peoria, Pike, Putnam, Scott, Stark, Stephenson, Tazewell and Winnebago.

With the presidential emergency declaration, affected local governments in these counties became eligible to apply for federal assistance to fund 75 percent of the approved costs to supplement state and local response efforts for emergency protective measures, including snow removal assistance, to save lives, to protect property and public health and safety over a continuous 48-hour period during or approximate to the incident period.

FEMA manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident, initiates mitigation activities and manages the National Flood Insurance Program. FEMA works closely with state and local emergency managers, law enforcement personnel, firefighters and other first responders. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.

Last Modified: Friday, 19-Jan-2007 12:28:34